Kim Jong-Un Hub

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Sony staff revealed that the version of The Interview released online and in select theaters is actually a "redacted version" of the James Franco and Seth Rogen comedy film, with certain controversial scenes edited out on the orders of Sony's Tokyo head office.

Among other details edited from the film include North Korean military insignia, which was originally visible on soldiers' uniforms in the film.

But the most controversial and wide-sweeping edit was the removal of a 10-minute scene depicting the aftermath of a gay orgy between Kim Jong-un (played by Korean-American actor Randall Park) and the television presenter Dave Skylark played by Franco.

According to the leaked script, the scene was subtle.

'Dave and Kim are in a bed naked, with the four women,' it reads. 'They’re all playing MORTAL KOMBAT.'

In the edited film, a more toned down scene involving the new friends shows them playing around with scantily clad women.

Another scene edited out of the film was a conversation between Rogen and Franco about Kim Jong-un's sexual abilities with Rogen saying the dictator could "suck a 12 inch c**k while ice-skating backwards."

Sony staff added that they hope the scenes edited out will be restored on some type of "director's cut" released at a later date.

Have you seen The Interview yet? Did you enjoy the film or think it could have used more Franco-Kim lovemaking?

"We have never given up on releasing The Interview, and we're excited our movie will be in a number of theaters on Christmas Day," Lynton explained. “At the same time, we are continuing our efforts to secure more platforms and more theaters so that this movie reaches the largest possible audience."

The specific number of theaters that will be showing the film is unclear, though Sony has stated that the release will be somewhat small. So far both the Alamo Drafthouse and The Plaza Atlanta (who offered to screen the film before Sony’s reversal) have confirmed that they’ll be showing the film with Sony’s blessing. Sony has also hinted that it’s working to "secure more platforms,” which may point to a same-day video on demand release.

“The people have spoken! Freedom has prevailed,” Seth Rogen tweeted out earlier today. “Sony didn't give up! The Interview will be shown at theaters willing to play it on Xmas day!”

The Seth Rogen and James Franco satire comedy in which the pair are tasked to assassinate Kim-Jong Un first made waves as part of the recent attack on Sony’s servers. In addition to terrabytes worth of celebrity gossip and scripts to unreleased movies, hackers released The Interview’s penultimate scene in which Kim-Jong Un is engulfed in flames. Guardians of Peace, the group claiming responsibility for the hacks, asserted that there woul be consequences were Sony to release the film as planned:

“We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places The Interview be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to. Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made. The world will be full of fear.

Remember the 11th of September 2001. We recommend you to keep yourself distant from the places at that time. (If your house is nearby, you’d better leave.) Whatever comes in the coming days is called by the greed of Sony Pictures Entertainment. All the world will denounce the SONY.”

“We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States,” he said. “I think it says something interesting about North Korea that they decided to have the state mount an all-out assault on a movie studio because of a satirical movie starring Seth Rogen and James Franco. The notion that that was a threat to them, I think, gives you some sense of the kind of regime we’re talking about here.”

The President went on to promise that the U.S. would provide a “proportional response” to North Korea’s “cyber-vandalism.” Coincidentally, North Korea’s entire internet was brought to its knees yesterday for about nine hours. Imagine that.

In The Interview, James Franco and Seth Rogen play bromantic tabloid reporters who score an interview with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and travel to Pyongyang in an attempt to legitimize themselves as journalists. But their plans change after the CIA recruits them to assassinate him.

In a statement released earlier today, former NBA player Dennis Rodman apologized for his explosive confrontation with CNN’s Chris Cuomo when challenged about his recent trip to North Korea and his refusal to discuss human rights abuses and the detention of Kenneth Bae with dictator Kim Jong-Un.

I take full responsibility for my actions. It had been a very stressful day. Some of my teammates were leaving because of pressure from their families and business associates. My dreams of basketball diplomacy was quickly falling apart. I had been drinking. It’s not an excuse but by the time the interview happened I was upset.

I want to first apologize to Kenneth Bae’s family. I want to apologize to my teammates and my management team. I embarrassed a lot of people. I’m very sorry. At this point I should know better than to make political statements. I’m truly sorry.

In case you missed the video of Rodman’s outburst, you can watch HERE.

Writing at The Weekly Standard today, Dennis Halpin informs us that Dennis Rodman (no relation) was bringing more than his august presence to Kim Jong Un’s birthday party. Halpin, citing a “diplomatic source” he understandably won’t name but says is reliable, claims that Rodman was also carrying “several hundred dollars’ worth of Irish Jameson whiskey,” “European crystal, an Italian suit for him, and Italian clothing, a fur coat, and an English Mulberry handbag” for Kim’s wife, Ri Sol Ju...

...In his article, Halpin notes that bringing luxury goods into North Korea is prohibited by U.N. Security Council resolutions (several of them, in fact). Those sanctions were first imposed in 2006, after North Korea’s first nuclear test, as a response to Kim Jong Il’s obscene luxury purchases as his people went hungry.

Former NBA player Dennis Rodman exploded at CNN's Chris Cuomo when challenged about his trip to North Korea and asked why he wouldn't discuss human rights abuses and the detention of Kenneth Bae with dictator Kim Jong-Un. Rodman is on a trip with 11 American basketball players to entertain the North Korean despot for his birthday.

Screamed Rodman:

"Kenneth Bae did one thing ... If you understand what Kenneth Bae did. Do you understand what he did in this country? No, no, no, you tell me, you tell me. Why is he held captive here in this country, why? ... I would love to speak on this...You know, you've got 10 guys here, 10 guys here, they've left their families, they've left their damn families, to help this country, as in a sports venture. That's 10 guys, all these guys here, do anyone understand that? Christmas, New Year's ... I don't give a rat's ass what the hell you think. I'm saying to you, look at these guys here, look at them ... they dared to do one thing, they came here."

It was not Rodman's first confrontation with reporters on the reasons for his trip. He was challenged by a group of reporters in the Beijing airport over the weekend and asked the same question Cuomo asked.

Said Rodman: "That's not my job...This game is for his birthday...That’s not the right thing to do. He’s my friend first. He’s my friend. I don’t give a s--t. I tell the world: he’s my f--king friend, I love him.”